Most Valuable Use Year?

[Amy5000]

Something I've been thinking about...

I know that the best Use Year for a given person really depends on that person's travel plans. Our family is likely to go WDW during the winter, so a Use Year that allows for banking if we need to cancel was considered when purchasing our contract.

My questions is: Are there certain Use Year's that are considered more valuable or desirable in the resale market than others. For example, I was guessing that an Oct. Use Year might be considered valuable, particularly at the Epcot resorts b/c of Food & Wine. I could see other Use Years being desirable if many people had similar vacation habits...but I guess being a newbie, I don't really know what those habits are.

I also guess a particular Use Year could be in short supply if, just coincidentally, there were not a lot of resales for that Use Year. In any event, do any people out there who have been watching the market longer than I have any sense of how Use Year impacts resale value...if any?

 

[drusba]

My sense is that it has very little impact. That "get a use year that starts before the time you usually go so if you cancel you can bank all points" issue really has a six month window to it -- if you have a use year that begins anytime up to 6 months before the time you usually go, you will have your hedge against cancelling and being able to bank all points. Where some use year impact probably exists is when exisiting owners go into the resale market and they sometimes have a preference for getting the same use year they already have. I would guess that what most effects what will sell faster is price, number of points, and how many points are immediately available.

 

[jarestel]

In my opinion, use years are one of the issues that gets way over-thought when it comes to DVC. Use years have nothing to do with when you can make reservations and they give you no advantage over anyone with a different use year when it comes to making them.

The only time the choice of a use year is remotely applicable is if you have a job or situation where you can only vacation within a very narrow window of time. Then if you had to cancel your plans at the last minute and were unable to reschedule due to the job or situation, you could bank your points to the next year. Of course, if you ever change jobs or your situation changes, then the use year "benefits" are no longer viable.

Also keep in mind that for truly "last minute" cancellations (within 30 days) there is no use year that will save those points regardless of where you are within your banking windows. In that case points are placed in a holding account where their use is severely restricted and are not bankable.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

I bought in 2001 and never gave use year a thought. Until this year, since I've booked a trip for August and my UY is September. But I like to think positive so I'm not concerned at all.

 

[Delaware Mike]

In my opinion, use years are one of the issues that gets way over-thought when it comes to DVC. Use years have nothing to do with when you can make reservations and they give you no advantage over anyone with a different use year when it comes to making them.

The only time the choice of a use year is remotely applicable is if you have a job or situation where you can only vacation within a very narrow window of time. Then if you had to cancel your plans at the last minute and were unable to reschedule due to the job or situation, you could bank your points to the next year. Of course, if you ever change jobs or your situation changes, then the use year "benefits" are no longer viable.

Agreed. When we searched for our "perfect contract" we knew we wanted an October Use Year, since we always go to WDW in October. Having an October Use Year gives us the availability to bank or reschedule if we have to cancel at the last minute.

My opinion is to agree with this post....there really isn't any advantage to having one UY over another, other than having a UY close to when you usually vacation at DVC.

 

[Didney Daddy]

We have a Dec UY. There is no good bad or bad UY, only good or bad planners. The key to owning DVC is your ability to plan. If you are last minute, you will not be happy. If you spend years thinking about the next Disney vacation - DVC is for you.

 

[PKS44]

The most "valuable" UY is either October or December...October is a little better

These UYs allow you the MAXIMUM use of points to go the farthest using my world famous, patented PKS44 UY vacation straddle technique for maximum point usage on one vacation....

what the heck am I talking about?
You can use 4 years' of points by starting the vacation just at the tail end of your Use Year and continue into the beginning of your Use Year....the October UY (Sept/October) has the most days with lower point requirements allowing the points to go farther...the Dec UY has the end of November which sometimes has only a few days after Thanksgiving with low point requiring days...and Decemeber gets more expensive after the 14th)

An Example:

How to stay for ONE WHOLE WEEK IN THE MOST EXPENSIVE ROOM AT DVC--the BWV GRAND VILLA with a relatively small contract of 150 points -with an OCT UY-
BANK OCt 2005 150 point into 2006.
Use all the points for 2005 and 2006 (300pt and borrow 36 of the 2007 pts for a BWV Grand Villa for 4 nights from 9/27-9/30= 336pts. then use the rest of 2007 points (114) for Oct 1 and beyond with borrowing of 123 points from 2008 for Oct 2 and OCT 3.(237 points) Total use of points 573 points on one vacation.

ALTERNATELY-stay a really long time in the least expensive room pointswise-
This year with the same banking and borrowing strategy as above- you could stay the entire month of Sept and all the way thru Oct 21 (check out on Oct 22) that is OVER 7 weeks-- in an OKW studio...

I don't think there is another UY that allows that length of pointsploitation....

 

[Dean]

I think there are personal preferences but doubt it varies enough to affect price based on the use year alone.

 

[Amy5000]

These UYs allow you the MAXIMUM use of points to go the farthest using my world famous, patented PKS44 UY vacation straddle technique for maximum point usage on one vacation....

PKS44 - That is way to funny.

I thought your response was going to be a joke and possibly inclulde a collar or hedge...but your patented vacation stradldle technique is way more inventive.

On the upside, I'm in the process of purchasing an October contract.

On the downside, DH doesn't get 7 weeks vacation, the kids have school, and I can kiss my business goodbye by disappearing for 7 weeks. But it was an enjoyable read!

 

[PKS44]

Ah, but Amy-- kids, grow and husbands retire in one way or another--and you with an OCT Use Year will be poised to indulge in pointsploitation now that you know the method of my madness....

Alas-- I have an August UY (150 pts) so the most I can get is 5 nights in a GV or a little over 5 weeks in an OKW studio....

 

[PatMcDuck]

We used to have August when we owned at OKW. This was ok, because we went either in November or August. When we sold OKW and bought BCV, we got June. We usually go in summer now, so to me June is even better than August....

But, we just bought what was available at the time of sale.

 

[Mic]

PKS44-
You have made my day! I have a Dec. UY with 830 points, and just purchased a small 30-point contract through resale with an October UY. I knew I was a genius, but my family doesn't believe me. I need to apply the PKS44 patented vacation straddle technique to my vacation planning. I could possibly spend half of September, all of Oct., and most of Nov. at WDW. DH only gets 4-5 weeks of vacation, though, and all the kids will be in school. But they don't ride Dumbo with me anyway, so who needs them?

 

[Amy5000]

Ah, but Amy-- kids, grow and husbands retire in one way or another--and you with an OCT Use Year will be poised to indulge in pointsploitation now that you know the method of my madness....

Yes...and by then the patent will have run out and I'll be able to indulge without a royalty.